Weekends: Read any passages of your choice or catch up if you’ve fallen behind 🙂
Acts_11
Scripture
Acts 11:12
The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them.
Observation – What does it say?
Immediately following his mysterious vision from God, the three men sent by Cornelius came to the house where Peter was staying. He heard the Holy Spirit speak to him, commanding him to go with these men. So he did.
Understanding – What does it mean?
What stood out to me was the intimate relationship Peter had with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke to him. Plainly. Clearly. Scripture doesn’t say, “Peter thought it might have been the Spirit speaking to him.” It was a matter of fact, because Peter had come to discern His voice.
And, the second side of the coin here is that Peter didn’t just hear, he obeyed. Jews didn’t associate with Gentiles, much less journey with them and step foot in their home. This would seem like an absurd thing for God to ask him to do. Yet, he didn’t question God and went.
Life Application
Hear and obey.
God, forgive me for the times you have spoken and I didn’t obey! May your voice become more clear to me and grant me the faith to trust you, even when what you say doesn’t seem to make sense or to be what I would prefer. Make me like David, a man who will do everything you have in mind for me to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Acts__10
Acts_9
“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?””
Observation-What does it say?
Saul was someone who used to persecute and kill Christians. He did this because he thought he was honoring God. Jews, especially religious Jewish leaders believed that Jesus wasn’t God, so Christians were “blaspheming” God by preaching in Jesus’ name. They had to pay the consequences for their behavior. Saul was a key person in the stoning of Stephen, a Christian who was described as full of the Holy Spirit in Acts 7.
On the road to Damascus, Saul had an encounter with Jesus and Jesus spoke directly to Saul asking him why he was persecuting Him? The Lord made Saul blind for a few days and his life forever changed after that.
Understanding-What does it mean?
The work of the Holy Spirit changes us.
God spoke to Ananias in a dream to locate Saul and lay hands on him. The first work of the Spirit in this chapter was the fact that Ananias was able to obey God’s commands despite Saul’s former reputation of persecuting and killing Christians. The second work of the Spirit was the change in Saul’s life after Ananias laid hands on him so that he could see and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saul, who began as one of the chief religious Jewish leaders who persecuted believers, would soon be known as Paul, one of the greatest leaders in the Christian faith recorded in the Bible! That’s a true testament to the work of the Holy Spirit. Saul’s life turned completely around.
Life Application
What would happen if we were one of those vessels that the Holy Spirit could freely work through? What would happen if we were obedient to His leading?
In this chapter alone, there is evidence of so much of the Holy Spirit’s work. I already mentioned 2 in the understanding section. The Holy Spirit also changed the hearts of the believers towards Saul. The disciples weren’t fully convinced of Saul’s conversion, but the Holy Spirit worked through Barnabas and he convinced the apostles not to be afraid of Saul because he was a changed man. The Holy Spirit continued to do things in Scripture that was impossible in a human’s own strength. He continues to do things today that are impossible in our own strength!
As verse 31 said, “….They stopped living in the fear of man and started living in the fear of the Lord.” As a result, the church increased in numbers again!
Don’t underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. There’s no stopping Him when He’s at work. As Pastor said on Sunday, “We need the Holy Spirit and when we receive Him we will be different in a way that is obvious to a watching world.”
-Michelle Gaddi
Acts_8
Scripture
Acts 8:4
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
Observation
Saul was shaking things up…and not in a good way. He was terrorizing the church and all who believed.
Understanding
Quite beautifully and boldly, though, those who had experienced the Holy Spirit continued to preach “wherever they went.” Like PG shared yesterday, when you experience the Holy Spirit, you are CHANGED. There’s no going back, no hiding it, you catch a glimpse of what God’s heart is for His people, what He desires – wholeness, healing, love, joy, peace – and you can’t help but want to be part of it and share it with others.
Life Application
God, stir up a Holy hunger in me and in our church. May we experience your manifest presence in a way that CHANGES us from the inside out, in a way that does not allow us to turn back to old ways or normal day to day…but in a way that creates an insatiable need to share your heart with others.
Rain down.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Rei
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Acts_7
Scripture
Acts 7:51-53
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
Observation–What does it say?
Stephen was seized and brought to trial under false accusations against him with false witnesses. He was responding to the high priest who asked Stephen if the charges were true. Stephen answered by laying out the history of Israel and how time and time again the Holy Spirit showed up yet the Israelites resisted God, grew cold, hard and jealous, and turned away from Him. Stephen was calling the Sanhedrin out, showing them how they were doing the same thing people had done for hundreds of years before them.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Don’t resist the Holy Spirit.
All throughout scripture we see how God’s people resisted Him and suffered for it.
Jesus said: “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
–Matthew 13:13-16
I want to be like Stephen, I wanted to be someone who sees and hears what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying. I want my heart to stay soft, and I wanted to be blessed because I see and hear.
Life Application
Keep your heart soft before the Holy Spirit by spending time with God and God’s people.
I don’t want to be like the Sanhedrin or thousands of others who have gone before and have had their hearts hardened, and who have resisted Holy Spirit. I don’t want to miss out on the glory of God that people like Stephen got to experience because they were open to what Holy Spirit had for them and obeyed Him. I want to be open to all that God has for me, my family, community, and world. In order to do that, I need to keep myself in His presence, connecting with him regularly throughout my day and connecting with my family – God’s people – who can continue to encourage me and keep my heart in check should it start to grow cold.
God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent Jesus to die for my sins, and thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the times I resist the Holy Spirit, forgive me for the times that I have received your commands but haven’t obeyed them. Thank you for your grace and mercy, and the blood of Jesus that washes me clean. Help me to stay soft and open to you. Help me to stay soft and open to my family of believers. Help me to stay vulnerable before you. I love you! Amen.
-Katie Thompson
Acts _6
Acts 6:5-8 (NIV) 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; … 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
The word used to describe Stephen was fulness.
- He was full of faith.
- He was full of the Holy Spirit.
- He was full of God’s grace
- He was full of God’s power.
When we describe Stephen as full of, it means to be controlled by. In essence, the description of Stephen was that he was a man controlled by the Holy Spirit. He allowed the Holy Spirit to fill him with grace and power and love for the people he was serving. He was also filled with wisdom as he allowed the Holy Spirit give him the words to speak to people.
The Holy Spirit is for everyone and the truth is that we can all be described in the same way that Stephen is described. I want to be full of the Holy Spirit so that God’s grace and God’s power is demonstrated in and through me. I want to be full of the Holy Spirit and directed by Him so that I too can see God do miraculous signs and wonders through me. Imagine what could happen if we all allowed the Holy Spirit to fill us up. Maybe the same would then be said of us… Acts 6:7 (NIV) So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly…
Acts__5
Scripture: Acts 5:1-2 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Observation-What does it say? I read in a bible my friend had brought from Hawaii, called the Pidgin translation, the book of Acts was titled “The things the apostles done.” I liked this title, because it brought the book down to a more human level. Chapter five is after pentecost, when the group of believers, and the apostles specifically, were living together communally. People were constantly giving up their possessions so that no one was left needing anything. However, Ananias and his wife brought forth their gift not as a means of humbly providing for others, but as a way of gaining notoriety for their generosity. Their consequence for trying to deceive God was death.
Understanding-What does it mean? One of the hardest things I have ever been through was the police academy. It required me to be fully committed to a lifestyle change, one that I was not ready for. I had to learn new skills, like shining my shoes and cleaning a firearm. I had to learn what seemed like a new language in the types of codes and legal jargon that is common with the profession. And I had to get it all done perfect, or the academy staff would assign me “education memos” which were due the next day. Once I got home, I would try to shine my shoes, iron my uniform, study my text book and finish 1000 word hand-written memos. This would carry me so late into the night, that I had to continue standing while writing in fear of falling asleep and making a mistake.
I was so overwhelmed with the work, and the level of commitment which was required of me, that I cried myself to sleep a lot of nights, and in the morning I would tell myself, “Today is the day I’m going to quit,” as I got into the car and drove to the academy. And then, at some point several months into the process, it got easier without me noticing. I began to enjoy the shoe shining and the ironing. I made fewer mistakes on my memos and found myself with spare time that I was able to use to exercise more or study more. I got better sleep. And eventually, I graduated and the life changing event was all over.
Christianity, even more than the academy, is a fully encompassing thing. It’s a life in which there are no short cuts. It requires complete devotion. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus tells us that the gate to life is narrow and few will find it. In Matthew 19, Jesus tells us it is easier to thread a needle with a camel than for the rich to find heaven. In Luke 14, we learn that we need to disown our family in order to become His disciples. There is verse after verse telling us of the perils of following after Jesus.
In all honesty, I can relate to Ananias more often than I care to admit. With my mouth I say I have given my life to Jesus, but in my heart I hold back. I worry about my finances, I fear the future, and I am jealous of all the material things I don’t have. Thankfully, Jesus’ grace is deeper and wider than any ocean. Jesus also tells us that his yoke is easy and our burden light when we trust in him (Matthew 11:28-30). God promises to protect us (Isaiah 43:1-2), He provides a way out when we are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13), and He loved us enough to sacrifice His son for us. So even though life can be overwhelming, and hard to truly commit to a life with Jesus, God provides for us through the Holy Spirit.
Life Application: Jesus, I struggle with myself. I know what I am supposed to do to be committed to you, but I have a hard time following through. I sin in areas that I shouldn’t, and I try to tell you I love you, but I miss the mark. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your new mercy today. Grant me the grace to trust you today, and I will let tomorrow handle itself.
-Tyler Galloway
Acts_4
- The Holy Spirit fills believers so that they can be his witnesses.
- Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-time thing.
Acts_3
Acts_2
Acts 2:17-21, 38, 41 NIV
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Observation-What does it say?
It was the day of Pentecost. Pentecost was the Greek name for a festival known as the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament. The Greek Word means fifty and is the fifty days after the Passover. In the Book of Acts, it signified the beginning of the church age, after Jesus’ ascension, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Believers. (Source: gotquestions.org)
Understanding-What does it mean?
The Holy Spirit empowers our ministry and makes it more effective to the lost.
God will use whatever means necessary to get our attention and to make our ministry more effective to the lost. When the Holy Spirit came upon the Believers at Pentecost, they were able to speak in different languages. Although they were Galileans, the Word of God spread to those who spoke different languages because of the Holy Spirit’s work in each of their lives. A total of 3,000 people repented, were saved and baptized that day!
Life Application
Be open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Whether it is speaking in tongues, prophecying or healing, God distributes the Holy Spirit’s gifts as He wills in order to edify the believer and the Church. We believe that those gifts are still being distributed today!
For the next couple of months, Pastor will be preaching on the book of Acts and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. Every Wednesday evening starting tomorrow, we will have worship nights from 7-8p. On one of those nights, January 23rd, Pastor Gary will be leading a very special night of prayer geared specifically towards being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Please join us!
Dear Lord, we pray that we wouldn’t hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, whatever that looks like, and that we would be open to all the gifts of the Spirit that You desire us to have. Thank You that the power of Your Spirit is still alive and available to us today! I pray for an abundance of salvations and baptisms as a result of His work through us and that we would experience the same power of ministry and love that the early church did. Amen.
-Michelle Gaddi